- Email: [email protected]
January, 2005
Perspectives
Ten most wanted January, 2005
Lunch with The Lancet Mary Moran
1
Septic shock—diagnosis and treatment (Jan 1, 2005) Annane D, et al. Septic shock. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(04)17667-8. Lancet 2005; 365: 63–78.
2
Seminar on colorectal cancer (Jan 8, 2005) Weitz J, et al. Colorectal cancer. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(05)17706-X. Lancet 2005; 365: 153–65.
3
PDE4 inhibitors in asthma and COPD (Jan 8, 2005) Lipworth BJ. Phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)17708-3. Lancet 2005; 365: 167–75.
4
Fast-food, obesity, and diabetes (Jan 1, 2005) Pereira MA, et al. Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year prospective analysis. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(04)17663-0. Lancet 2005; 365: 36–42.
5
Anastrozole preferred for breast cancer (Jan 1, 2005) ATAC Trialists’ Group. Results of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial after completion of 5 years' adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17666-6. Lancet 2005; 365: 60–62.
6
“To whom do the results apply?” (Jan 1, 2005) Rothwell PM. External validity of randomised controlled trials: “To whom do the results of this trial apply?”. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17670-8. Lancet 2005; 365: 82–93.
7
Seminar on porphyrias (Jan 15, 2005) Kauppinen R. Porphyrias. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(05)17744-7. Lancet 2005; 365: 241–52.
8
Hypertension—a global challenge (Jan 15, 2005) Kearney PM, et al. Global burden of hypertension: analysis of worldwide data. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(05)17741-1. Lancet 2005; 365: 217–23.
9
Treatment of HBeAg-positive patients (Jan 8, 2005) Janssen HLA, et al. Pegylated interferon alfa-2b alone or in combination with lamivudine for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B: a randomised trial. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)17701-0. Lancet 2005; 365: 123–29.
As I arrive at a quiet restaurant in London’s Covent Garden, Mary Moran is immersed in a newspaper, reading about the UN oil-for-food scandal. She is amazed that Kofi Annan’s office shredded tell-tale documents—that the truth will out seems obvious to her. Searching for the truth is central to her role as head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Development Policy Group (PRPG), at the UK’s London School of Economics. The group is looking at how research and development for non-commercial diseases is split across public and private enterprises; it aims to formulate better policies for governments to implement. But rather than analyse existing figures, the PRPG is trying to find the truth behind the statistics. To Moran’s surprise, most players have been open about their affairs. Three-quarters of all projects to develop medicines for neglected diseases stem from public-private partnerships. For Moran, this is a win-win situation; industry has little commercial incentive to research such drugs, and public institutions tend to be too low on resources to go it alone. The trouble is that governments have been slow to recognise the importance of these partnerships. Her first-hand experience of the shortage of effective drugs in developing countries came after working on Médecins Sans Frontières’ Access to Medicines programme. Here she noticed the gap between the drug industry—to whom responsibility for drug development is often ceded—and the public sector, which monitors global disease. Moran’s career began in her native Sydney in emergency medicine, which she took to like a fish to water: “it must be the Irish Catholic in me that loves dealing with crisis”. But after more than a decade, the thrill began to pale. “The control and power a doctor wields in the emergency room is incredible—and I’m not sure that it’s good for the soul”. A degree in international relations and politics then led her to London as a diplomat—a strange career choice for someone who is so forthright. What kept her going most in her time in foreign affairs and at Médecins Sans Frontières was her true calling: advocacy. But advocating for something she believes in is crucial; when Australia’s government turned conservative, she argued publicly for policies that, in private, she often disagreed with; a situation she is not keen to repeat. Her desire to uncover the reality of research and development was rewarded by a Wellcome Trust grant that allowed great intellectual freedom in not predefining the PRPG’s end result. The grant is also due to run out soon. But Moran is a staunch optimist, believing that “something always turns up”. Given her passion and determination, I’m sure it will.
10 Challenging the Th1/Th2 theory (Jan 8, 2005) Umetsu DT. Revising the immunological theories of asthma and allergy. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(05)17714-9. Lancet 2005; 365: 98–100.
The ten most wanted Lancet articles downloaded from ScienceDirect (see Lancet 2003; 361: 1265. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12982-0) in January, 2005.
Priya Shetty [email protected]
www.thelancet.com Vol 365 May 7, 2005
1615
Ten most wanted January, 2005
Lunch with The Lancet Mary Moran
1
Septic shock—diagnosis and treatment (Jan 1, 2005) Annane D, et al. Septic shock. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(04)17667-8. Lancet 2005; 365: 63–78.
2
Seminar on colorectal cancer (Jan 8, 2005) Weitz J, et al. Colorectal cancer. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(05)17706-X. Lancet 2005; 365: 153–65.
3
PDE4 inhibitors in asthma and COPD (Jan 8, 2005) Lipworth BJ. Phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)17708-3. Lancet 2005; 365: 167–75.
4
Fast-food, obesity, and diabetes (Jan 1, 2005) Pereira MA, et al. Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year prospective analysis. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(04)17663-0. Lancet 2005; 365: 36–42.
5
Anastrozole preferred for breast cancer (Jan 1, 2005) ATAC Trialists’ Group. Results of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial after completion of 5 years' adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17666-6. Lancet 2005; 365: 60–62.
6
“To whom do the results apply?” (Jan 1, 2005) Rothwell PM. External validity of randomised controlled trials: “To whom do the results of this trial apply?”. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17670-8. Lancet 2005; 365: 82–93.
7
Seminar on porphyrias (Jan 15, 2005) Kauppinen R. Porphyrias. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(05)17744-7. Lancet 2005; 365: 241–52.
8
Hypertension—a global challenge (Jan 15, 2005) Kearney PM, et al. Global burden of hypertension: analysis of worldwide data. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(05)17741-1. Lancet 2005; 365: 217–23.
9
Treatment of HBeAg-positive patients (Jan 8, 2005) Janssen HLA, et al. Pegylated interferon alfa-2b alone or in combination with lamivudine for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B: a randomised trial. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)17701-0. Lancet 2005; 365: 123–29.
As I arrive at a quiet restaurant in London’s Covent Garden, Mary Moran is immersed in a newspaper, reading about the UN oil-for-food scandal. She is amazed that Kofi Annan’s office shredded tell-tale documents—that the truth will out seems obvious to her. Searching for the truth is central to her role as head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Development Policy Group (PRPG), at the UK’s London School of Economics. The group is looking at how research and development for non-commercial diseases is split across public and private enterprises; it aims to formulate better policies for governments to implement. But rather than analyse existing figures, the PRPG is trying to find the truth behind the statistics. To Moran’s surprise, most players have been open about their affairs. Three-quarters of all projects to develop medicines for neglected diseases stem from public-private partnerships. For Moran, this is a win-win situation; industry has little commercial incentive to research such drugs, and public institutions tend to be too low on resources to go it alone. The trouble is that governments have been slow to recognise the importance of these partnerships. Her first-hand experience of the shortage of effective drugs in developing countries came after working on Médecins Sans Frontières’ Access to Medicines programme. Here she noticed the gap between the drug industry—to whom responsibility for drug development is often ceded—and the public sector, which monitors global disease. Moran’s career began in her native Sydney in emergency medicine, which she took to like a fish to water: “it must be the Irish Catholic in me that loves dealing with crisis”. But after more than a decade, the thrill began to pale. “The control and power a doctor wields in the emergency room is incredible—and I’m not sure that it’s good for the soul”. A degree in international relations and politics then led her to London as a diplomat—a strange career choice for someone who is so forthright. What kept her going most in her time in foreign affairs and at Médecins Sans Frontières was her true calling: advocacy. But advocating for something she believes in is crucial; when Australia’s government turned conservative, she argued publicly for policies that, in private, she often disagreed with; a situation she is not keen to repeat. Her desire to uncover the reality of research and development was rewarded by a Wellcome Trust grant that allowed great intellectual freedom in not predefining the PRPG’s end result. The grant is also due to run out soon. But Moran is a staunch optimist, believing that “something always turns up”. Given her passion and determination, I’m sure it will.
10 Challenging the Th1/Th2 theory (Jan 8, 2005) Umetsu DT. Revising the immunological theories of asthma and allergy. DOI: 10.1016/S01406736(05)17714-9. Lancet 2005; 365: 98–100.
The ten most wanted Lancet articles downloaded from ScienceDirect (see Lancet 2003; 361: 1265. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12982-0) in January, 2005.
Priya Shetty [email protected]
www.thelancet.com Vol 365 May 7, 2005
1615